How To Rid Your New Home Of Foul Smoke Odours 

CONTENTS 

• Types of smoke damage 
• Effects of smoke damage on your health 
• Smoke removal in your home 
  • Carpets and furniture 
  • Hard Surfaces 
  • Wooden surfaces 
• Cigarette smoke odour removal 
• Calling in the professionals 
• Get in touch 

To help ease the stress of moving into a new home affected by bad smells, we have provided information on neutralising smoke odours, as well as how professionals can get your home to where you want it to be. 

According to Gov.uk, in the year 2018-2019, 576,000 fire incidents were attended to by emergency services. This is a huge number of homes that would leave owners dealing with the smoke damage caused by fires. 

All homes that have been exposed to harmful smoke toxins require immediate cleaning services, which can damage the safety of the property for habitants as well as their health. 

Additionally, the structure of the building is at risk if smoke begins to seep into walls and ceilings and settles there.  

Types of smoke damage 

There are many different types of smoke damage that can occur to your property. For example: 

• Wet smoke damage – you will find the smell of this potent, and it is the result of fire burning at a low temperature.
• Dry smoke damage – this occurs when black smoke rises and is caused by a fast-burning fire at a high temperature. 
• Protein smoke damage – residue from this is an oily texture that is heavy. The source of this is a fire rich in protein.  
• Cigarette smoke odours – When you have just moved into a new property, it can be unpleasant to encounter the smell of previous habitants. Cigarette smoke tends to linger in indoor environments. 

To ensure that you do not suffer from further smoke damage in your home, First Alert have provided information about how to protect your home from fires. This includes ensuring you have a fully functioning smoke alarm and educating those you live with about the importance of fire safety. 

Effects of smoke damage on your health 

There are many health risks associated with smoke damage being present in your home. To ensure smoke odours do not ruin the enjoyment of your new home, you should deal with any unpleasant smells as soon as possible. 

Smoke inhalation can cause irritation to your lungs as well as resulting in other health conditions or symptoms if exposed to it. Examples of these include: 

1. Lung disease 

2. Runny nose 

3. Burning in your eyes 

4. Skin irritation 

5. Shortness of breath 

For more information on the dangers of smoke inhalation, please click here. 

Smoke removal in your home 

With the above health concerns in mind, below is guidance on how to rid your new home of unpleasant smells. Please note that all the home remedies mentioned are just suggestions. 

Carpets and furniture  

Any belongings beyond repair from smoke damage should be disposed of carefully. One home remedy often recommended for removing odours from carpets and furniture is baking soda. 

It is sometimes used for neutralising smoke odours by covering affected areas and leaving it for around 30-60 minutes. You would then need to vacuum the remnants of the baking soda to ensure none are left on the carpet or furniture. 

While some choose home remedies for smoke odour removal, hiring professional services who are fully qualified means no stone is left unturned in the cleaning process. They can help to rid your belongings of unwanted smells but are also able to remove smoke particles present in the air.  

Hard surfaces 

It has been suggested that in order to remove the smell of smoke from hard surfaces, you could try a mixture of 50% white vinegar and 50% water. 

You would do this by wiping down hard surfaces with a mop covered in the solution. If the smoke layer is thick, a few rounds of cleaning might be needed to ensure that the particles have been removed from the surfaces. 

Wooden surfaces 

A home remedy you can use to try removing smoke odours from wood is a combination of olive oil and vinegar in a spray. You would also need to wipe down the surface to get rid of moisture that has built up. 

This should be left to work on the affected area, and if the odour is stubborn, repeating the process may be required. 

Cigarette smoke odour removal 

Moving into a new home requires a lot of work and can be a stressful time for homeowners. Encountering cigarette smells lingering in your property is unpleasant but can be eliminated when the correct steps are taken. 

The smoke particles found in cigarettes are the smallest kind of particles, being only 0.5 microns. They can be difficult to rid from your home and can often attach themselves to porous substances. 

To fully remove cigarette smoke odours, employing professional cleaning specialists is recommended. To eradicate the smoke particles, they will neutralise the odours with effective cleaning solutions. Upon completion of the work, your new home will be left smelling fresh. 

Calling in the professionals 

Although it may be tempting to deal with the issue yourself, hiring professional smoke odour cleaning services to tackle the problem will ensure the issue is resolved. They will make it a priority to eradicate microorganisms that are responsible for the foul odours.  

Here at ICE Cleaning, we use many methods in our smoke removal process, including: 

• Air blasting
• Wet vacuum extraction 
• Steam cleaning 
• Dry soot sponging 
• Dry filter vacuuming 
• Pressure washing 

If confronted with stubborn odours, a more thorough clean may be needed. To do this, our team will employ a thermal fogging treatment to the affected areas. Air scrubbing would also be used in these circumstances, as it helps to rid the space of any hazardous chemicals, gases and particles that may be present. 

Get in touch 

In our smoke odour removal process, we use industry-leading technology to remove foul smells. Our dedicated customer service team are also here to help you with any questions or queries you may have. 

If you’re interested in the services we offer, please contact us on 0208 066 0360 or enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk.